lly failed her.

Her ideas of him were a whirl of conflicting notions which utterly
bewildered her. Of one thing only did she become very swiftly and
surely convinced, and that was that in failing her he had saved her
from a catastrophe which must have eclipsed her whole life.
Whatever he was, whatever her feelings for him, she recognized that
this man was not the mate her girlish dreams had so fondly
pictured. Probably she would have realized this in any case from
the moment of their meeting, but circumstances might have compelled
her to join her life to his. And then------

Her look passed from him to Burke, and instinctively she breathed a
sigh of thankfulness. He had saved her from much already, and his
rock-like strength stood perpetually between her and evil. For the
first time she was consciously glad that she had entrusted herself
to him.

At the end of luncheon she realized with surprise that there had
not been an awkward moment. They went out on to the _stoep_ to
smoke cigarettes when it was over, and drink the coffee which she
went to prepare. It was when she was coming out with this that she
first heard Guy's cough--a most terrible, rending sound that filled
her with dismay. Stepping out on to the _stoep_ with her tray, she
saw him bent over the back of a chair, convulsed with coughing, and
stood still in alarm. She had never before witnessed so painful a
struggle. It was as if he fought some demon whose clutch
threatened to strangle him.

Burke came to her and took the tray from her hands. "He'll be
better directly," he said. "It was the cigarette."

With almost superhuman effort, Guy succeeded in forcing back the
monster that seemed to be choking him, but for several minutes
thereafter he hung over the chair with his face hidden, fighting
for breath.

Burke motioned to Sylvia to sit down, but she would not. She stood
by Guy's side, and at length as he grew calmer, laid a gentle hand
upon his arm.

"Come and sit down, Guy. Would you like some water?"

He shook his head. "No--no! Give me--that damned cigarette!"

"Don't you be a fool!" said Burke, but he said it kindly. "Sit
down and be quiet for a bit!"

He came up behind Guy, and took him by the shoulders. Sylvia saw
with surprise the young man yield without demur, and suffer himself
to be put into the chair where with an ashen face he lay for a
space as if afraid to move.

Burke drew her aside. "Don't be scared!" he sai